Locking-washer.



110,730,880. PATENTE-D JUNE 16, 1903.

W. J. 000K. I

I LOCKING WASHER. APPLI'O4TIOK BLED JUNE 30. 1902. RENEWED Ark. 21,1903.

a v 4 g a Z a is;

fi m E w v UNITED STATES Patented June 16, 1903.

WILLARD J. COOK, OF DEXTER, IOXVA.

LOCKING-WASHER.

IEECZFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,880, dated June 16,1903.

pplication filed June 30, 1902. Renewed April 21, 1903- Serial No.153,664. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLARD J. COOK, a citizen-of the United States,residing at Dexter, in the county of Marion and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking-\Vashers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a locking-washer of simple,durable, and inexpensive construction susceptible of use in connectionwith any bolt and nut and designed to securely lock the nut to the boltso that itcannot be loosened by any of the shakes and jars to which thenut may be ordinarily subjected, but which will permit the removal ofthe nut when a wrench is applied thereto.

More specifically, it is my object to lock the nut to the bolt byclamping the tapered end of the n u t-thread against the adjacentthreads of the bolt, it being understood in this connection that thereis always a slight space between the threads of the bolt and nut, and Iclamp the nut to the bolt by bending and distorting the tapered end ofthe thread on the nut, so that it will firmly bind against the thread onthe bolt; and my object is further to hold the nut in its lockedposition by spring-pressure, so that even if the nut should be partlyunscrewed from the bolt it would still beheld from further rotation onthe bolt.

My invention consists is certain details of the construction,arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the lockingwasherwhereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fullyset forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the completelocking-washer. Fig. 2 shows a vertical central sectional view of same.Fig. 3 shows a vertical sectional view of two objects, a bolt passedthrough them, and a nut and my improved locking-washer on the bolt, thenut and washer being shown in sections and the washer being shown in itsnormal positionbefore the nut is screwed tightly against it. Fig. 1shows a like View with the nut in its locked position and thelooking-washer flattened out.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used thereference-numeral 10 to indicate an ordinary screw-threaded bolt, and 11an ordinary nut to receive the bolt.

The locking-washer is disk-shaped and provided with a smooth centralopening large enough to admit the bolt, and, as clearly illustrated inFig. 2 of the drawings, the washer is shaped in the form of a segment.This washer is made of spring metal, and obviously when it is flattenedout it will have Sufficient resiliency to again resume its segmentalshape when the pressure on it is removed. The washer proper is indicatedby the reference-numeral 12. On the highest points of the top surface ofthe washer, at diametrically opposite sides, I have provided twointegral pointed projections 13. The inner ends of these projections areflush with the inner face of the central opening through the washer. Oneof the side edges of each projection is inclined and the other side edgeis vertical,-and the topsurface of each projection tapers outwardlyuntil it meets the top surface of the washer at a point onlya slightdistance from the center opening through the washer, and from theunder'surface of the washer at points diametrically opposite each otherand on the lowermost parts of this under surface are the ratchetteeth14.

In practical use thewasher is first placed upon the bolt with its lowersurface so adjusted that the ratchet-teeth 14- thereon rest against theobject through which the bolt is passed. Then the nut is screwed to thebolt, and as soon as it engages the washer the projections 13 on its topsurface will strike the thin tapering end of the thread on the nut, andas the nut is further turned and screwed tightly upon the bolt thewasher is flattened and the teeth 14 are firmly driven into the objectthrough which the bolt is passed, and one of the projections 13 willthen engage the thin tapered end of the screw-thread'of the nut and willdistort it and force it into'engagement with the thread on the bolt.Obviously this result could not be produced by the ratchet-teeth onthetop surface of the washer of the teeth extended from the centerto'the circumferenceof the washer, because the outer portions of theteeth would be engaged by the under surface of the nut and would preventthe projection 13 from following that portionof the screw-thread thatis'bent upwardly by the projections, and 0bviously unless theseprojections on the top surface of the washer engage only the thintapered end' of the screw-thread on the nut they cannot have the efiectof distorting this screw-th read and produce the binding against thebolt. It will now be seen that after the nut is firmly screwed toposition it will be locked to the bolt and prevented from turning.However, if the nut should be turned part of a revolution the resiliencyof the metal of the washer would cause the washer to arch and stillholdthe projections 13in engagement with the thin end of the screw-thread.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. An improved locking-washer comprising a-circular disk made of springmetal with a round opening in its center and its body portion curved orarched in the form of a segment, ratchet-teeth on the lowermost parts ofits under surface and projections on the upprojections on the topsurface of the washer at the highest points thereof, said projectionsbeing highest at a point in vertical alinement with the sides of thecentral opening and with their top edges tapering downwardly to the topsurface of the washer at a point some distance from the periphery of thewasher, for the purposes stated.

WILLARD J. COOK.

Witnesses:

J. RALPH ORWIG, W. R. LANE.

